This invention relates to microcapacitors and more particularly concerns an improved capacitor construction and method of making the same.
Herefore conventional microcapacitors have been made of six-sided ceramic dielectric wafers or blocks all of whose faces and sides are rectangular or square. Opposite broad sides of the dielectric blocks carry thin metal electrodes. The capacitor blocks have sharp angular corners and edges. It has been found in practice that such capacitors are subject to failure or unreliability in operation due to several causes. The abrupt metal to ceramic interfaces tend to develop crack-propagation flaws. There is a tendency for separation of the electrodes from the ceramic blocks or wafers when the capacitors are subject to thermal or mechanical shock. The machining or grinding of edges of capacitors develops partially detached conductive metallic particles which tend to break loose when the capacitors are in use, causing static discharges, arcing, shorting, and electrical failure.